


Beautiful Myth

by Kicchin



Series: The Shrike [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Akashi may have PTSD, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Past Lives, Angst, Deities and Gods, Emperor Akashi Seijuurou, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Fem Takao in the past, Female Takao Kazunari, Furihata is a cinnamon roll, Heavy Angst, Historical Inaccuracy, Immortality, MDZS inspired, Minor Kagami Taiga/Kuroko Tetsuya, Minor Midorima Shintarou/Takao Kazunari, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Lives, Reincarnation, Second Chances, Soulmates kind of, Temporary Character Death, There is so many AU help, Tragedy, it gets better though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2020-11-27 17:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20952353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kicchin/pseuds/Kicchin
Summary: Akashi Seijuuro was given the blessing of immortality, he had seen thousand of seasons and walked many paths yet none of them led him to meet that one person who mattered most for him. His gift slowly turns to a curse as he slowly finds his world crumbling beneath his feet with the truth that he had lost him and years, decades, millennia could never bring him back.A part of him had begun to accept it, until fate seems to wake up from its slumber and Akashi meets a man who bears the same face and name as the love he lost from a thousand years ago.But how did Akashi Seijuuro ever lost his love in the first place and can he make it right this time before history repeats itself?





	1. Chances Are?

**Author's Note:**

> HI GUYS THIS IS KICCHIN AGAIN!! I should be updating ACCIDENTALLY YOURS now but lol, anyways if you haven't read ACCIDENTALLY YOURS please give it a shot when you have time, I swear I will update before November ahahahaha! So yeah, anyways, this is Beautiful Myth and it is more like a supporting story to my one-shot SHRIKE. It's VERY related to it so if you're here for the first time and you haven't read Shrike, please do give it a shot first so you can get a little hint of what we got here.
> 
> Due to many of the readers' recommendation, I decided to make a separate story which will elaborate on their story. I kinda opted for one whole story instead of collection because unfortunately I didn't figure out how Collections work lol, I'm so sorry! So yeah, there will be some minor tweaks here and there in the characters for plot purposes but it will be later on. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter though, it's a little short but let me know what you think of it!
> 
> Also I dont know where I first heard the song Beautiful Myth but please do listen to it. It's really pretty also it's officially going to be the theme song for this story lol. Please don't forget leave us some kudos, bookmark or comment if you like this!

** _The one in my dreams with a familiar face,_ **

** _You await my tenderness_ **

** _Even if the world is engulfed in tears_ **

** _I will never let you go..._ **

* * *

The city slowly awakens as the sun begins to peak on the horizon. Morning has begun and the promise of a good weather is painted on the clear sky over the skyscrapers and the paved roads. Staring at the sight of the familiar neighbourhood from the inside his home, Akashi Seijuuro could almost feel the transition of spring air to summer against his skin.

“You did not attend the board meeting yesterday.”

Akashi hears the sound of a mug laid on the glass coffee table behind him, if he had been anyone else he would have been surprised with the thin presence of the teal haired intruder. He looks back and greets the other.

“Good morning Tetsuya, I did not know you are here.”

“I have been for the past two hours.” Kuroko Tetsuya answers in his icy monotonous voice. He nurses his own cup of coffee as he looks at Akashi. “Mibuchi-san asked me to see if you’re still here.”

“I am _always_ here.” Akashi replies.

“Except for that time you left to go to England for two months without telling anyone.” Kuroko says flatly before taking a sip of his coffee and sitting down on the white leather couch.

Akashi’s smile slightly falters. He looks briefly back to the sight behind the tall glass window of his living room overlooking the city. There was a time when he had a thought, a strange thought that _he_ may have not been born in Japan, that fate had somehow made a mistake. He left without a word, he flew across the world, he searched and looked for anyone, _anything_ that could point him to where he could be. It took him sometime to realize he wasn’t there.

He looks back again towards Kuroko who had abandoned scrutinizing him in favour of checking his phone. He hoped that like Kuroko, he would return to him and that fate will somehow draw _him_ towards them just how Kuroko ended up by his side. Every incarnation, every single time, Kuroko would be drawn to him, he would come, he always did…but _he_…he was never there.

“You cannot dodge and avoid your responsibilities, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko adds with a small sigh.

Akashi walks up to take his cup of coffee, he smiles at the other.

“Is that a challenge?”

Kuroko frowns.

“No.”

Akashi chuckles before taking a sip of his coffee. He barely recognizes the bitterness, not because he is not familiar but rather he had been so used to this taste.

“You should apologize for the trouble you caused.” Kuroko tells him before taking a bigger gulp of coffee and staring with his cold blue eyes at Akashi.

“I don’t have time.” Akashi lies. He had been increasingly good at this after so many years of doing so. “Today is the only day I can come and see the exhibit, I swore that I would be there yesterday but I couldn’t because I needed to be elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere? You were not in the office either.”

Akashi sits down next to Kuroko.

“It was the opening of the new ward in Shintaro’s hospital.” Akashi answers. “I had to represent my company as a major sponsor.”

Kuroko stares at him barely amused by his excuse. Akashi meanwhile remained unfazed, he had been used to this look for millennia. This look and personality remained unchanged through all of Kuroko’s incarnation.

“Regardless,” he says, “You will come to the exhibit _today_.”

Akashi smiles.

“Today.” He parrots.

“Who knows, maybe someone will buy those pictures you badly wanted to dispose of.” Kuroko says.

Akashi chuckles, but there is no humor in it. He nods before taking another drink. His fingers trace the outline of the red marking on the object in his hands hoping the warmth would sips through his frigid soul, but it doesn’t, nothing ever does…not after _him_. He looks down on the black liquid inside the cup, he used to hate the bitterness of the coffee but after a while he find himself barely caring at all, the burn and the virulent taste felt _real_ more than any of _this_.

Kuroko doesn’t leave the apartment without Akashi, he stands there in the living room sorting through documents and checking his phone occasionally. Akashi tries to bore Kuroko by deliberately being slow, he takes an hour to finish taking a shower and he stays inside the bathroom sitting on the stool staring and hoping his plan would work, but after another thirty minutes he hears Kuroko walk pass the bathroom talking over the phone which causes Akashi to sigh in defeat. Akashi realizes that after spending three years with this incarnation of Kuroko, the other had learned surprisingly a lot about him including _this_.

When Akashi emerges from the bath fully dressed, Kuroko eyes him for a minute before catching what seems to be a roll of eyes from the teal haired secretary.

It takes him another hour before _finally_ leaving the house with Kuroko. Akashi spent the ride quietly as Kuroko busies himself with a small luxury of calling his lover. Kuroko has not changed, not when he speaks when Kagami, his tone although flat often is laced with quiet and well hidden affection that is reserved only for that crimson haired man.

Time is cruel, fate is even more merciless.

Akashi wanted to be happy for him, for _them_, but all of those happiness, that _good_ left with him.

.

.

.

Surprised eyes turn to Akashi the moment he steps out of his car. His constituents all lower their head in greeting to him as they stood at the front of the opened exhibit. As Akashi expected, none of them are truly interested at all about the exhibit but instead more concerned of his presence. One and one they began to _bravely_ walk towards him, and thank heavens for Kuroko as although short his glare is enough to keep most of the constituents at bay.

“I will leave you to deal with them.” Akashi tells Kuroko and the teal haired secretary nods.

As soon Akashi walks up to the exhibit his eyes fell on familiar things, items that he wish he didn’t know, he had not seen. They are not _his_, he tells himself again, none of them ever were. People said they were gifts but they felt more like a chain, a reminder of what he had that were never good enough, never going to be _him_.

“Akashi-san.” Akashi turns towards the source and he smiles as he finds Mibuchi and the cheery glimmer in his gray eyes. “How is your day?”

“Wonderful.” Akashi replies like usual. “How is everything?”

“We had sold four items on display yesterday.” Mibuchi tells him with a chirp in his tone. “We’ve sold the silver jewerly box from Qin Dynasty, the jade comb with rubies, the gold hair pin with dragon carving and the silver dagger from Qin Dynasty.”

“That’s good. And the collection, _my_ collection?”

Mibuchi opens his mouth to speak but he closes them. Akashi had known the man, he had _seen_ that expression before, after all this isn’t the first time he _tried_ to dispose of his past. He didn’t know though, nobody ever do.

“No.” Mibuchi says to answer the unasked question. The dark haired man sighs and slumps his shoulder. “I’ve been trying to get them to _notice_ it but nobody seems to be interested. Like every time I try to call them, their eyes just _swoosh_ away.”

“Hm.” Akashi replies with a sigh.

“Akashi-san, not to state the obvious but _maybe_ you can just _donate_ it if you really want to get rid of it _that_ badly.”

It wasn’t as if Akashi did not try it, he did over the millennia of his existence but somehow there is _one_ that seems to keep coming back no matter what. He _tried_ to burn it, sell it, donate it and even leave it but somehow it always finds its way back to him, like a haunting reminder of his flaws, his regret. Maybe it was the cost of his immortality.

“We’ll leave it be when it’s no one wants it then.” Akashi says.

“Alright, if you say so Akashi-san.” Mibuchi says with a sigh. “Our new intern is doing her best to attract some more visitors. So far she seems eager enough.”

Akashi hums, he’s never met this intern but he did ask one to be taken to help with information drive. Although the goal is to sell all of the displays and dispose them, it would also be wonderful for the public to see them, for a few eyes to look into the same things he once did. After all Akashi knew well the power of publicity, if the ordinary folks talk about it, it is bound to be heard by those above as well. The wealthy makes money through making profits out of what the public is interested in.

“I have not met her, what did you say her name was?”

“Momoi Satsuki.” Mibuchi answers before pulling out a folder from the pile of papers in his hand then handling them to his boss.

Akashi takes the paper and flips the file open, he looks at it briefly, a habit he had acquired throughout the years. He skims over the information, he reads her name on top and a picture on the upper right corner of a beaming pink haired youth. She looks young, younger than he expected.

“Is she a student?”

“It seems so.” Mibuchi says as Akashi returns the file. “She said she needed a part-time job, her credentials checked out and she is very energetic, I think she’ll do just fine.”

Akashi nods.

“Well I trust your judgement.”

Mibuchi smiles warmly.

“Thank you!”

Akashi nods his head and begins his routine, he walks around the exhibit quietly. Four items will be taken out from his hands and that is well, he didn’t need them anyway. Most of them he bought on impulse when he felt lonely and wanted to be reminded of things that used to be there, used to be _his_, some were gifts he didn’t really deserved, they felt heavier each year as they collect dust. It took him a hundred years to realize that none of them could ever compensate or substitute for his emptiness and in fact they did the exact opposite. The objects, all of them reminded him of the passing of years, the changing of the season without _him_.

The hours pass by, Kuroko returns to tell him about some things he spoke with the constituents outside. They spoke for a while before Kuroko decides he needs a more comfortable place to do all his work, which in simple words is returning to the office. Akashi remains in the exhibit as he _promised_ the teal haired secretary who stealthily _threatened _him to poison his coffee supply at home—not that it would work but he didn’t like angering his diligent secretary.

Talking about the other displays in the exhibit tires Akashi, none of them were _that_ interesting at all beside the minimal historical value and their _monetary_ value. It is one of the many reasons why he doesn’t mind losing any of them. It is already pass lunch, Akashi doesn’t mind but his mind is beginning to feel numb from talking and fake pleasantries, he turns away from a small talk with a businessman looking over a jade paperweight when he notices a figure standing at the farthest back of the exhibit.

That’s new, Akashi thinks to himself as he excuses himself from the man’s presence to take a better look. He walks quietly until he is just an arm’s length away from the figure and the world around seems to come to a halt.

The thing about immortality, living through so many lifetimes, is that it does not include unlimited capacity of one to remember. The mind is fickle thing, after a decade it rids itself of things that it doesn’t see again, feel or experience to open up for new things. It was also was, _is_, Akashi’s fear. There were times, lifetimes that he found himself grasping, holding on, at what is left of _him_ on his mind. There are mornings when he would stare on the blank wall asking himself, trying to recall what color were his eyes, or what shape was his face, what his hair felt between his fingers. There were worse nights when he would find himself desperate for anything that can stop him from forgetting, to keep him inside as he slips through each passing lifetime and he finds himself curled like a helpless child crying, begging for all the pain to stop.

He never drew his face, not when he was with him, not when he _had_ him.

He thought he never had to, he realized too late he was wrong.

He thought he had forgotten him too…and he is wrong.

He couldn’t count anymore, the years had been long. He used to use Kuroko as a gauge, he counts how many time he met him for the first time to see how many lifetimes had passed until he lost track of it. He stopped counting along the way, he stopped…caring at all. He hoped but not as strong as the first hundred years in his immortal body.

He remembers, a small voice whispers in his mind, he remembers. Small face, almond and sun-kissed skin, dark and thick lashes, and hazel eyes, they all take his breath away. Akashi stares longer, he relinquish the sight and drunk it a parched man who had seen an oasis in the middle of a dessert.

Furihata Kouki is as beautiful as he was the first time he had laid his eyes on him.

Akashi could almost cry, his heart beats louder and louder as those hazel eyes watch the pictures in front of him. He returned, he’s _here_ so close. Akashi finds himself smiling.

Maybe heaven hasn’t forsaken him yet, maybe it hasn’t forgotten.

“It is not always I find someone in this part of the gallery.”


	2. Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU VERY MUUUUUCH TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT KUDOS AND COMMENTS LAST CHAPTER!!! I know most of you guys are probably waiting for the historical part of this story, but it will come soon. I'm so sorry for taking so long to release chapter 2, I intended Chapter 1 and 2 to be released together because I thought chapter 1is a bit too short but I wasn't sure yet how to do chapter 1 or if it will even get a hit or kudos lol (^^;) anyhow, I'm thankful that it did receive a warm welcome from you guys!   
So yeah chapter 2! I hope you all like it and please leave a kudos, subscribe or bookmark if you liked the update and lastly please let me know what you think of today's update on the comments. 
> 
> PS. Please forgive me if there are any errors here and there, I wrote this at 1AM instead of sleeping lol and on my phone too because my laptop somehow won't let me connect to the WiFi *cries* please do let me know your thoughts on the comments because they sustain me AHAHHAHAHHAHA I love you alllllllll!!!  
Also if we have any Japanese readers here, or readers residing in Japan, I hope for you and your family's safety.

Akashi drinks every details of Furihata as he stands there right in front of him oblivious of how momentous this very second is for the red head. His short brown locks framing his delicate sun kissed skin, his small lips slack with awe and shock from the words he had just heard. The seconds drag on as if the weight of the red head’s regret all these years weighs it down, but Akashi doesn’t mind, none of it matter right now. 

“I…uhm…that’s…strange.” The brunet tells him in a sheepish tone.

The red that paints his cheeks as he looks back and forth from the display and Akashi made the other’s chest tight with fondness and nostalgia. He thought he had forgotten, but now he can say, he can still remember feel of the ghost of his skin against the palm of his hand, his short hair prickling against the side of his cheek on the tranquil evenings that Akashi held his small figure securely in his arms, away from the dangers of the slandering words of the envious mortals. It all resurfaces like an overflowing damn, water flowing uncontrollable through the petty walls of concrete. His chest is full of hope.

“Perhaps…” Akashi begins. He takes a shaking and brave inhale of air. “…it is a work of fate.”

Brown eyes blink owlishly at Akashi, he waits for any sign of repulsion from the brunet but it never came. He finds him moving his lips in an attempt to speak but nothing, there were no words said. He sees a flicker of mixture of emotions in his eyes, they had always been so honest even after so long they are still the same ones he fell for.

“I…uhm, I d-don’t know?”

Akashi chuckles.

“Perhaps fate has brought us together, Kouki.”

Furihata’s eyes widen, his cheeks burnt darker red, and he gapes at Akashi’s forwardness.

“E-Eh, A-Akashi-san I—“

“Can’t I call you that?” Akashi asks, he tilts his head to the side. Now that he thought of it, through the aging and fading moments in his mind of him and the brunet he had always called him by his first name and he had always insisted he call him too as fondly but he rarely ever did. “After all, are we not close now? Are we not at least friends?”

Guilt has always been Furihata’s weakness, Akashi can remember that, he easily caves in to him like that. Petty excuses, small smiles and tender tones, his cheeks would burn and he’d give in like a mother unable to resist the charm of her child.

“…Well…I-I mean, I am not worthy a-and we’d only just met today to be friends already—“

“Then acquaintance at least.” Akashi says with a small hopeful smile.

“I…well, yes I…I think.”

“That’s good enough for me for now.” Akashi says with a nod. “I could work with that.”

The brunet furrows his eyebrows, his slender arms clutching his notebook against his chest. Akashi looks briefly at it and notes the school’s name printed on the cover. Seirin High School it reads.

“W-Work with that, w-what does it mean?” Furihata asks shyly.

“I mean I would convince you to take me as a friend, perhaps…in the future _even more_.”

Akashi murmured the last two words making Furihata strain to hear it but he still isn’t able to catch it.

“E-Eh, but I…I would not want to impose o-on you, a-and I’m not anyone i-important, people may talk about you a-and it may affect your r-reputation A-Akashi-san.”

Akashi’s eyes widen at the familiar words. He froze for a moment before he glances back at his works hanging up on the wall enclosed in a glass frame. Reputation, huh…he left all of it, none of it ever mattered. Hee realized it too late, however.

“Do you?”

“Huh?”

“Do you mind that I want to be your friend, does it…do you dislike it?”

“I—“

“Don’t lie, Kouki.”

Furihata’s is left speechless for a second at the coldness of the red head’s tone. There is a firmness in his voice that feels like sharper than a blade. The brunet looks at Akashi, he was prepared to see fury but instead he sees something…something warm and almost lonely that he dare say the man looks almost pleading.

“No, I don’t. I-I don’t mind but—“

“Then that is all I need to know.”

Akashi breathes a sigh of relief. The only opinion that he ever cares for is Furihata’s.

“Oh.” Furihata says in a small voice. “I-I don’t understand why me. Is it because I…its curious accident that I bare the same name as the Great Defector a-and you with the Immortal Emperor?”

Akashi scoffs mentally at the word accidentally. None of this surely could be an accident, Furihata returned to him and that is a fact. It had to be a work of a force, something beyond him and he couldn’t complain. This is everything he ever needed, whatever this is.

“Partly,” Akashi answers, it is vague he knows but he couldn’t, shouldn’t, tell him. It was too cruel for him, unfair even. “and there are more.”

“More?”

“My secretary, he’s a friend of mine as well, he told me once that you can tell a lot about a man with the way their eyes see the world.” Akashi says quietly. “The way you seem to understand the story I just told you, it tells me so much about you and I can tell you are a good man.”

Furihata feels his throat dries up, he couldn’t find a word to say. Something inside him stirs at the compliment. It is perhaps the way his sultry voice drags the words, they feel like ice gliding down through smooth surface, and the way his sunset colored gaze steadfast as he spoke. Furihata feels like a small, common, illustrious star receiving the highest praise from a man looking up the night sky, as if he’s the only lit object in the entire universe.

Doubts echoes through the depths of Furihata’s traitorous mind, it would not be good for someone like Akashi to associate himself to a common man such as himself, it says. Another spoke, it is low and rumbling, it tells him that he does not deserve him, none of it could be real. Yet, something bigger, warmer and sweet calls him closer. Something in him believes Akashi, wants to at least.

“I…”

“You don’t have to answer.” Akashi saves him from his conflicting mind. “It doesn’t really matter if you don’t think so, if you don’t believe me yet. I…I’m determined to earn a place beside you.”

Furihata’s eyes widen at the boldness, he feels his cheeks burn at the implications but before he can speak again he hears his phone loudly rings. He gasps in shock and embarrassment, he sets his notebook on the bench beside him before quickly and clumsily, pulls his phone from the back pocket of his hands. His reads the caller ID and surprisingly it is his half-brother.

“O-Oh uhm, I-I’m sorry I have to take this.” he says with a curt bow.

Akashi merely smiles and lets him take his call. The brunet turns around for a second and walks to the corner of the room. Akashi can still hear Furihata’s whispered replies to the caller, his small facing Akashi.

It has been long, Akashi tells himself for umpteenth time. He refuses to spend this second pondering if he is dreaming or not, he can’t afford it with the time ticking. This time it will be different, it have to be different.

His musing quickly ends when Akashi finds Furihata walking up to him sheepishly. The brunet bows again to him politely.

“Thank you very much Akashi-san.” He begins and Akashi instantly knew where this is going. It made his fingers twitch with a desire to hold him back but he holds himself back. He smiles instead and that eases the brunet’s unsure expression. “I…That was my brother, he…uhm…”

“Need to go?”

Furihata doesn’t understand it himself, why is it he find it hard to excuse himself? This man is as good as a stranger to him and yet, why is he reluctant to say good bye? He blushes at his silliness and thanks heavens for Akashi’s perceptiveness which saved him a lot of time. He nods to answer him and he looks up waiting for his reply.

He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“You don’t have to always explain yourself, Kouki.” Akashi tells him, “I don’t want to keep you from your family.”

Akashi hopes he wouldn’t see through his lie, he hopes he would take it as it is because the truth is that he doesn’t want him to go or ever leave his side again. He’s frightened to his core that the moment he leaves his sight, he will never find him again. But what will he tell him, what reason does he have that could make him stay, make him believe? He is as good as any stranger to him, a face like a hundred thousand more Furihata sees and meets every single day in his life. What can he offer that could convince him, that gives him the right to stop him and hide him away?

He watches helplessly as he bows once last time.

“Thank you very much for sharing something like this with me.” he tells him mid bow.

Akashi’s eyes widen at those words, he smiles and chuckles. He remembers, ah he does remember the day he told him that too but in a different life, in different circumstances. He watches him, his feet rooted to the polished wooden floors as his small back retreats to the exit and he leaves him once more.

Akashi’s smile falters, in his heart he is filled with conflicting emotions. This too is familiar, he thinks, it is almost the same confliction he felt the day he realized what he had felt for him. Although this time he is sure of what he feels for him, he is unsure as to how to feel about this moment, this chance, everything.

Hope is a dangerous thing, hope can drive a man mad, and even an immortal like him. One will do everything, will test the limits of the heavens and the divine if given hope, and he know he is ready to do that now. He is prepared to leave everything once more, but how far, how long…and what if this is just a passing thing, a cruel game by the gods and goddesses who oversees? What then, what is he to do now?

What is it that he is given?

Is this hope? Is it a curse?

What had fate done, why this, why now?

“Oh, Akashi-san?”

Akashi blinks and realizes there is a person standing in front of him now. The corners of his lips twitch, when had she arrived and how come she has been able to pass his excellent perceptions? Kuroko had always been an exemption but he—

“I-I’m sorry,” she begins, “M-Mibuchi-san told me to uhm introduce myself to A-Akashi-san, I did not mean to disturb you. I-I can come back later.”

“No need.” He says.

He remembers her now, the part-timer Mibuchi hired. She looks just like in the photograph, her long pink hair cascades down from her shoulders down to the middle of her back. She wears her school uniform under a teal zip up jacket. Her dark pink eyes glisten with liveliness and energy.

“I am Momoi Satsuki,” she says before bowing her head low. “I am sorry for my late introduction, I will work hard. I will be in your care.”

Akashi hums.

“Do what you can, don’t push yourself too much.” Akashi says as he always do to every single new recruit.

Momoi nods happily and beams at him. “You can count on me Akashi-san!”

Akashi smiles and is about to say something again when he finds Momoi blinking and staring something behind him. He turns to follow the line of her gaze and his heart stutters. He picks up the notebook sitting on the empty bench, his eyes read the name written in hasty penmanship—Furihata Kouki.

“Ah a guest must have left it.” Momoi says in a hushed voice. She walks closer and inclined her head to look at the notebook before making a gasping noise. “Ah!”

“Hm?” Akashi quirks a brow at the part-timer’s reaction.

“Seirin High! So he did come here!”

“You know the owner of this notebook?” Akashi asks with a tinge of jealousy, is this girl…perhaps, is it possible that Furihata in this life had already been in a relationship?

“Yes.” She says with a nod, “I saw him at the station, he stopped by and inquired so I invited him to come! His uniform is familiar, Seirin is the closest high school in the area that uses the standard gakuran as a uniform so I can’t be mistaken.”

Akashi stares.

How odd, what are the chances?

He looks at her and asks.

“Is it possible that you also have his address and contact details?”

Momoi chuckles.

“Of course Akashi-san!” she replies with a smile brighter than the sun. She opens her bag and pulls out a clipboard. She hands it carefully to Akashi. “Mibuchi-san gave me this form, we’re supposed to ask the details of those who inquiry in case they would like to be updated on our upcoming events and exhibits.”

Akashi stares at the form, Furihata’s name is written there alone. His address and contact number written beside his name with the same penmanship.

How is this even real? How is it that he feels the world is conspiring for him to see Furihata?

“Was he here earlier?” Momoi asks.

“Yes I…I spoke to him.”

Momoi chuckles, “Oh he is cute! He seems very interested in history too, he asked if our displays are historical artefacts and when I said yes his whole face lit up! He told me he’s also doing a project, I wonder if he found anything in here that interests him though, I hope he did.”

“He did.” Akashi answers still staring at the paper in his hand, he couldn’t believe this. Why after all these years, suddenly…suddenly they meet?

“What did he like, did he told you Akashi-san?”

Akashi should be bothered, she is asking too many questions for his own comfort but he…he doesn’t know anymore.

“The Shrike.”

“Oh.” She says. For a moment she remains silent until she speaks up again. “That’s surprising. Yesterday, it wasn’t that popular with the guests.”

“It isn’t.” Akashi says. “He’s the only one who thought it looked good.”

“Really? And Akashi-san, what do you think, after all you are the expert, right?”

“He is correct.”

Momoi chuckles again.

“That’s peculiar but I can’t help thinking it’s kinda romantic.”

Akashi finally looks up from the clipboard to Momoi. She is staring at the display behind Akashi, her smile still bright.

“Who would have thought he’d find what he was looking for here, a display and artefact that doesn’t seem to strike anyone else’s interest but Akashi-san, an encounter by accident and now he has left his notebook here almost like an invitation to find him.”

Akashi’s eyebrows furrows. What is this girl saying and why does her tone seem…knowing?

“Sorry.” She says as she breaks her glance from the display and switches back to Akashi. Despite the icy gaze of the immortal, she doesn’t seem fazed and she giggles.

“I just thought that it kinda feels like something pulled from a story about soulmates’ fateful meetings.” Then she adds. “Do you believe them, Akashi-san? You see, I really do—I believe some people are bound by something strong and indestructible to another. I believe soulmates exists.”

She walks up closer and she taps the notebook in Akashi’s hand.

“And this is fate.”


	3. Consistencies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAHHHH I AM BACCCCCKKKKK!!! I'm so sorry for making you guys wait again. I had a writer's block for days now, actually weeks and I've been trying to get back to writing my other works TT A TT but instead of getting ideas for new chapters I get new ideas for new stories ahahahahahahaha so im really sorry if you guys are waiting for updates for my other works. I also got sick recently so I wasn't able to get much of writing done but I will try my best to get my butt back on them soon! Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter, we'll be introducing more characters now and some mysteries here and there so we can begin delving into the past of the characters. 
> 
> Thank you sooooooooooo much for everyone who left kudos, bookmarks and subscribed! Thank you soooo much to everyone who commented last chapter also ohohoho Momoi will be important character so yeah, hold on to those theories or let me know how do you think she is involve in all of this? Let me know what your thoughts on today's update! I love you all and thank you for reading, don't forget to stay hydrated!

“I’m home.” Midorima calls out as he steps in his shared apartment with his lover.

As soon as he locked the door behind him, he turns to the entry way and sets his suitcase on the floor. He removes his stifling leather shoes in favour of wearing his comfortable indoor slippers. He picks up his shoes to place it on the shoe rack only to realize an additional pair of shoes placed there. He stares for a while wondering if he had missed Takao telling him about a guest tonight. His impeccable memory somehow can’t conjure any recollection of the raven haired male telling him about a guest.

Midorima pushes the thought aside and puts his shoe on the rack. He takes his suitcase and walks to the living room where he almost bumps to his lover.

“Ah, there you are!” Takao greets him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Mn.” Midorima replies. “I called.”

“Of course you did.” Takao says with his cheery smile. “Let me take your coat, I’ll hang it up for you.”

Midorima couldn’t help but find his lips quirk up a bit for a small smile. He nods and removes his coat, Takao takes it as well as his suitcase. Although Midorima loves his work, the warmth of his home is incomparable. Nothing could fill his soul the way Takao Kazunari’s soft laughter and his gentle hands on his shoulders.

There were was a time when this place felt like a frigid palace, vast but empty, a house but not a home. Midorima would step in, he would call out to air to announce his presence out of habit but there would never be any response. Ironically, he felt trapped in such massive space, he felt the loneliness crept through his skin, following him through every void of the house. Then, _he_ came, Takao Kazunari with his blinding smile and his laughter like the howling of the wind that brings the storm. He gripped him and bound him to the twinkle and glimmer of his molten silver blue eyes, and despite the his constraints in him Midorima never felt more free.

Midorima watches Takao as he moves quietly around the house, he begins to talk like he always does. He begins by telling him how his day went, the raven haired young man worked as an assistant nurse in a small psychiatric facility. They met seven years ago in a small conference, Takao was new in his job then and was sent to join a conference which was hosted by Midorima’s hospital as part of the hospital’s advocacy in expanding awareness in the application of Psychology in other medical fields. Takao mistook Midorima as one of the attendees and spoke to him for hours after the conference, they kept in touch even after the said conference. It took a while before Midorima confessed the truth to Takao, that he was in fact the director of Shuutoku General Hospital and this rocked the boat for a while for the two of them.

Of course, Midorima wouldn’t be himself if he had allowed something such as a minor thing stop him. If he had known anything about Takao, it is his weakness towards blatant display of persistence, efforts and sincerity. He would never admit that he had gone through all those lengths to convince Takao of his intentions, but he really never had to after all knowing the other goes both ways. Takao knew him as much as he did to him.

“Anyways,” Takao says as he walks back to Midorima. The raven haired man sighs as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Your _friend_ is here.”

Midorima blinks. Friend?

“Akashi.” Takao tells him with a roll of his eyes. “He’s in the dining room sulking since he came here.”

Midorima sighs, “Why let him in, I did not invite him.”

“Oh, I did not let him in.” Takao says, “I told him you were at work, and _he let himself in_. Can you believe it, he just stepped in and just went straight to the dining room poured himself a coffee and told me he’ll wait for you.”

Midorima sighs _again_. Do not get him wrong, he doesn’t _hate_ Akashi Seijuuro but he’s not exactly very thrilled about him and his shenanigans most of the time. He also doesn’t like the fact that he often seems to have forgotten about social etiquette despite appearing and being dubbed as the epitome of grace and a gentleman.

“To be honest though, I’m concerned.” Takao says. “I’ve never seen him look like _that_.”

Midorima narrows his eyes at his lover, Takao does look genuinely concerned. Although Takao and Akashi’s relationship can be considered _complex_ given the fact that Takao often finds the red haired’s attitude to be haughty, and honestly, Takao’s isn’t entirely wrong.

“I ate dinner already.” Takao says, “I think you two should talk it over dinner, maybe some food will help him get that constipated look off his face.”

Midorima hums a quiet gratitude to his considerate lover.

“Okay.” He says quietly before pressing a chaste kiss to the raven’s cheek.

Takao giggles and kisses his cheek back before waving him off to the dining room. Midorima nods and walks towards the dining room where the lights are lit and not a single sound can be heard. As soon as Midorima steps in he finds Akashi is indeed sitting there staring at the wall like a statue, his hands laced together on top off the cherry wood table.

“Have you eaten yet?” Midorima asks knowing fully well the red head heard him come in.

Akashi doesn’t reply and Midorima could almost hear the gears in his mind reeling. It isn’t unusual for Akashi to be quiet, Midorima for the longest time he had known the red head seen hundreds of occasions when he would be quiet, staring at something, somewhere pondering about things and sometimes just zoning out. The emerald haired man walks to the adjoined kitchen and checks the pot with the still warm beef stew. He doesn’t wait for Akashi’s answer and he begins to prepare him and the red head a meal.

He sets the food in front of the other with a glass of water before setting his own and sitting down across Akashi. The red head shifts his eyes from the empty wall to the bowl of food.

“Did Kazue cooked this?”

“Kazu_nari_.” Midorima corrects him. “Yes, _he_ did and you would have known that if you weren’t spacing out.”

“I had something in mind.” Akashi replies.

“Clearly.” Midorima takes his chopsticks and quietly murmurs a thank to the heavens. “I do not appreciate that you do not acknowledge the authority of Kazunari in _our_ home. You must apologize.”

“I wanted to talk to _you_.”

“I _insist_ you apologize to him.”

Akashi stares at him, red eyes cold and unrelenting. Midorima used to be feel apprehension from those red eyes but after having Takao, he realized often his fears of this man are nothing compared to having the raven insulted. Midorima ignores his glare and begins to eat. He remains still on his resolve.

“I will.” Akashi finally answers. “I did not intend to insult his place in your home.”

“Good.” Midorima nods. “Eat before it gets cold.”

Akashi nods and they began to eat quietly. Midorima has known Akashi long enough to feel when he is finally at ease. There are things that happened which allowed Midorima to see the other at his worst, his tipping point when everything he had ever known of the red head were crushed. There was once when he thought he knew him best until he realized it wasn’t the case.

“I…saw _him_.”

Midorima looks up, chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

“Akashi we’ve talked about this—“

“It wasn’t a hallucination Shintaro, it’s not some…_delusion_. I saw and talked to _him_. It _is_ him, it’s _Kouki._”

Midorima press his lips tightly. Millennia had passed since, he remembers vaguely the day when the Dynasty of Teiko fell left with no heir, no Emperor, weak from war from within its walls. The ministers tried but soon like a curse fell upon its roofs the empire fell despite efforts of those who remained within it. Ministers and nobilities begged him, the former first prince to take the crown but he knew it was a lost cause.

Furihata Kouki is someone Midorima felt both resentment and gratitude. He rifled through documents upon documents, he moved and defied the rules of the heavens and earth to bring Midorima back to Kazue, to his family. But he also left his brother, Akashi with the greatest wound and pain anything and anyone could inflict.

Akashi never understood the way the heavens worked or how and why it blessed him with immortality just right after Furihata Kouki died. Midorima watched how it wrecked his brother from the inside, how he almost lost his sanity begging for anyone to tell him what he saw is wrong, to tell him something other than the death of Furihata Kouki. He witnessed him starve himself to death to see the limits of his immortality in hope that perhaps in the afterlife he’d see him and he’d know why but the heavens forbid it.

Midorima would find incarnations of his wife most of the time, sometimes he doesn’t but years often past quickly for immortals. Soon the frost would thaw and he’d see a lady or a man whose laughter and silver blue eyes were unmistakeably belonging to Takao Kazue’s soul and he would fall ungracefully like he first did the day he met Takao Kazue. He was lucky, most of them were, his brother not so much. Akashi never met Furihata Kouki again, never after a hundred or a thousand years. He waited but he never came, he saw him in faces in the crowd passing but it was never truly him. It was always some illusion by his broken heart that never truly healed.

Midorima met Kazue, he met him or her over and over again. He shared days and years wrapping his arms around the familiar heat of the smaller frame of the only soul he ever truly loved and craved for. He shared kisses, stories, nights and days throughout the years and millennia all because Furihata Kouki bent the laws of life to resurrect Midorima which in turned made him immortal. He owes him so much and yet…and yet Furihata Kouki is also the man who had made him witness his brother’s fall from grace more than necessary.

“Did he…recognize you?”

“No.” Akashi replies. “He…he is just the same age as I first met him.”

Midorima looks down on his bowl, half eaten warm rice oblivious of the turmoil of the world around it. The green haired former royalty couldn’t help but doubt his brother’s own account, after all there were many occasions when Akashi’s grief had tricked his own mind. Midorima didn’t know, he couldn’t possibly remember what Furihata Kouki looked the first time he and Akashi met. He met the brunet when he was already working in Akashi’s court, it was already more than three years or so after the two made acquaintances.

Midorima remembers well, unlike Akashi’s blessing, his immortality was unnatural and due to this his mind never deteriorated and never forgot. He remembers the first day he met Furihata Kouki standing in courtyard in front of the Emperor’s chambers, unruly brown haired tied up in a ponytail, his smile reaching to his eyes. In his hands he held a lone gentian flower. In front of him the young emperor stood, he had a small smile and warm eyes as he brushed off the stray locks of hair from the brunet’s face.

He remember thinking his brother was young and naïve, and so was the brunet…but perhaps now he realize that it was them who was too naïve and ignorant.

“What are you afraid of?” Midorima asks. “Why are you afraid _now_ of all times when you have prepared yourself for a thousand years for this moment?”

Akashi scoffs, he smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“I just…perhaps a part of me stopped.” Akashi admits. “A part of me stopped believing he will come back, that I…that he’ll ever want to or that whatever it is that oversees fate would permit me to see him. A part of me wanted to stop getting disappointed because no matter how long it still hurts. It hurts to hope and be disappointed. Then he’s here…really here and I…how is that fair?”

“Life is never fair.”

“It never is, isn’t it?” Akashi says with a shake of head. “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do this right, that I don’t know how to make _this _right and that if I can’t make it right this time I may _never_ be able to.”

“You will never know.” Midorima answers. “The fact is we’re not Gods and we will never know the intricacies of life or the passing of judgement.”

“Then where do I go from here on?” Akashi says in a soft voice.

It has been a long time since he had asked Midorima for a suggestion. It had been so long since he felt that he is the younger brother, the inexperienced, the weaker one of the two of them. Their upbringing had rarely given them the opportunity to explicitly show filial piety to each other and after everything it had been difficult to change. But there was once, sometime before the sky was painted red, before the sun fell from the skies, Midorima was an older brother to a small prince whose piercing red eyes were loved only by few.

For a moment Midorima feels he is not speaking to the immortal emperor but to his younger brother, his pitiful brother, the same child he taught to read poems and write. He remembers the second prince Akashi Seijuuro, his brother who was too young to understand what death meant and slept outside the chambers of the empress waiting for her to let him in until he would come and coax him back to their own chambers.

Ah, Midorima thinks, this is truly Furihata Kouki, for no one had the power to humble the proud immortal emperor but Furihata Kouki.

Where does one go from here, Midorima had thought of it before. The first time he lost his wife, and the next, and the following times it never was the same, it’s never better. How will he lead his life from that point on, would waiting alone suffice?

_“Where does right and wrong lies? What is black and what is white?”_

Midorima remembers distinctly those words uttered by Akashi as he was criticized for his actions, his blatant efforts of trying to save the Great Defector and what remains of his people. He realize not long after those words were not his brother’s.

“We will never know what the right thing to do is, there are perhaps something that we will always fail to accomplish no matter how many times we’ve been given a chance.” Midorima starts. Briefly he remembers the times he spent with every incarnation of Takao. Every fleeting moment they shared was not like the other before it or after it.

“…However that does not account for our weakness to make most of the time we have but instead it’s just because…perhaps, there is always something we’ve never known of that we realize, because we never stop seeing and learning, because the world will always be bigger than we could ever hold in our hands.”

Akashi slowly looks up, his red eyes looking back at his brother’s green ones.

“Had you always…were you ever afraid of never being enough, never…doing enough to make it worth it?”

Midorima nods.

“Always.” He admits.

Akashi hums.

“Perhaps it’s in our blood to be so easily entangled with love.”

Midorima doesn’t reply, but he agrees.

.

.

.

.

.

Furihata Kouki stares.

“Should I be…worried?”

Furihata Kouki quickly waves his hands off at his older step brother.

“U-Uhm, n-no, I mean t-there must be a-a mistake of some sort.” Furihata says with an awkward laugh.

Kagami Taiga stares at his younger brother who is now blocking a massive package sitting on their humble coffee table. Earlier, while preparing their dinner the package arrived along with Furihata’s notebook. The large package is carefully brought in by two men who asked for Furihata’s sign and left as quickly as they arrived.

Furihata rarely had packages delivered _this _size and guessing from his step brother’s expression, he also didn’t expect it at all. However, they were not asked to pay anything which seems quite suspicious.

“Maybe we should call the police.” Kagami suggests.

“W-Wait, uhm i-it may be just some prank or—“

“Bomb! It can be a bomb, Furi get over here!” Before Kagami could reach his brother, the brunet shakes his head.

“N-No, i-it’s not a bomb i—“

“Kagami-kun, I’m back.”

The two turn their head towards the entry way and they find Kuroko stepping inside the apartment. The teal haired boyfriend of Furihata’s brother gives him a small smile as he finds the brunet there. He bows his head in greeting.

“Good evening, I’m sorry if I kept you waiting Furihata-kun.”

Furihata waves his hands in front of him to dismiss the other’s apologies. He smiles back. He had known Kuroko Tetsuya the day he and Kagami started dating, he is the first person Kagami informed about their relationship.

The teal haired young man is one of the kindest and most genuine person Furihata had the pleasure of meeting. Although, often he is frank and has an ice cold monotonous voice, he is caring and very gentle especially to his brother and for Furihata that is all that matters. It is quite a bonus though that the teal head likes him as well, they bond over books and literatures when the teal head comes over for dinner.

“It’s no trouble, I’m happy you can join for dinner Kuroko-kun!”

Kuroko nods with an almost invisible smile reflected on his blue eyes.

“What are you two doing here?” Kuroko asks curiously as he turns to look at his boyfriend.

“Ah, nothing.” Kagami says before tipping his chin towards the package on the table. “Just some package that came earlier. Looks shady so I said maybe we should call the police or something.”

“Kuroko-kun, please tell my brother’s he’s exaggerating.” Furihata says with a defeated sigh.

Kuroko nods.

“You _are_ exaggerating Kagami-kun.” The teal haired secretary says before he drops his bag on an empty space on the coach. He walks towards the unsuspecting package and lifts the small parchment stapled over the box. “You don’t have to, there’s a recei—“

Kuroko stares.

His words cut as he reads the characters printed on the receipt.

“What, who is from?” Kagami asks.

Kuroko lifts his head and blinks. He crumples the paper in his hand and his usual placid eyes turn icy.

“I’m going to kill him.”


	4. Compromise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI, HELLO GUYS I A M BACK!  
DID YOU MISS ME? I sure did! First of all, I want to apologize for my tardiness. AAAAH the term is almost over and I'm hoping for the best this year, things are looking well for me in my grad school subjects, I don't see anything else other than 1.00 GPA yet for my current subjects--but some classes hasn't submitted their grades yet so yeah I'm hoping I can make through with a 1.00 GPA for all the subjects. That would be the best year end gift!   
Anyways, enough about me let's talk about you guys. How did you like last chapter? Ahahahaha I hope everyone enjoyed the interactions last chapter and we will soon get MORE of it, I'm sure you're curious of other characters now, they'll start appearing very soon since I don't want to dump them all in one go since I'm still building the characters that are already presented. BUT I'm very excited to write them! I'm also honestly beginning to formulate on how we will retell the history between Akashi and Furihata without it becoming too centered on the past. If you guys have some suggestions btw don't be shy and let me know of it!   
We'll begin uncovering more about their past so please stay tuned! I hope you enjoy today's update and if you do, please let me know of your thoughts on the comments, or leave a kudos, or subscribe! Thank you very much and I don't forget to hydrate!

It has been a while since Akashi last dreamed of this. Without a trace or reminder of what had transpired, his memory grew blurry and unreliable. His dreams turned to memories into snippets and nightmares. He would wake angry, frustrated or crying, there were days when he hoped he’d never dream again but then a part of him couldn’t entirely wish for it, in dreams even briefly he is with him.

He didn’t know what point he began to dream, however unlike before it came as a welcomed friend to him. It was a day that had been buried through the years of despair and grief, he remembered the smell of the spring, the flowers blooming and the scent of thawing ice. He was in a room that isn’t his, it was smaller but warmer. The shelves on the room were filled with trinkets and thick books that were supposed to be in the library but somehow ended up there. Akashi didn’t mind.

He looked at his hands and he was holding parchments of papers, odd symbols and drawings etched on them with a familiar style. They are hardly art but they are beautiful with the mess of ink and raw and hurried lines. He raised it up to see it up on the light of the candle, Akashi had never seen anything like it before.

“What is it for?” he asked.

“It’s a protective charm.” A voice across the room answered.

Akashi lowered the paper in favour of looking at his companion. The young man leaves his post on the corner of the room with another of his works, his medicinal books and notes. He drops on his knees and quietly crawls over to where Akashi sat. As the young man sat close to him, his features were lit by the candles, his short hair which was not common were chopped oddly and messily, his long and delicate eyelashes were almost orange under the candle’s light. His eyes were a dark luscious color of amber and mud.

“I haven’t finished it yet.” He answered him. “In theory it can repel bad luck and protection against petty curses.”

Akashi chuckled, “That is practical.”

“Indeed!” the other replied with enthusiasm. “It worries me that people are either reluctant to see a priest for their dilemma because they are afraid to disturb others thinking it is simple a petty curse of bad luck but then leaving as such also causes troubles, or they would continuously return to the same temples over and over for being cursed and actually cause trouble for the priests. This way, it is easier, right?”

Akashi nodded, he felt a smile tugs his lips.

“Kouki is so considerate of others. I fear one day you would be more popular than I, the emperor.”

The brunet gasped and shook his head.

“I would not dare, I’m just some lowly commoner.” He told him. “Your Majesty, however, you will always be everyone’s best.”

“Even for you?” Akashi teased.

Furihata chuckled and he sits closer to Akashi, arms pressed against each other. The Emperor looked down, his gaze soften involuntarily as he watches the brunet take the paper from his hand in a quiet motion.

“Even for me.” he heard him whisper.

“If you finish this charm, would it be too much if I asked to be the first to have it?” Akashi asked.

He had been growing quite bold recently, the drumming in his heart had been uncontrollable and the bizarre desire to monopolize the brunet’s time and attention is growing potent. He knew that the brunet does not work to please him, instead he knows the core of his works lies on the brunet’s desire to help the weak and the poor. But a man’s heart is fragile, greedy and possessive. It cannot be dealt with reason and logic.

The brunet as if burnt almost jumps and leans away. His brown eyes wide and surprised.

“Why would His Majesty—I mean, Your Majesty my work is no way better than those of the High Priest of the palace. And as you can see, although I tried my best to make it look presentable, it would not be as beautiful as the jade pendants you have.”

“Is that a no?”

The brunet gasped, “Your Majesty, you know I cannot—“

Akashi sighed.

“Have I not been clear, when we are alone you are allowed to call me by my name.”

The brunet stared wide eye, slacked jaw liked a fish pulled out of the water. His cheeks burnt red and he lowered his head. For a moment there was silence and Akashi dreaded it. He didn’t mean to embarrass the other but such title felt distant and he…he wished to be closer. Even in such manner he could pretend that the brunet held him—

“Seijuuro-_sama_.”

Akashi’s whole body felt rigid, the air in his lungs swept by the passing breeze as he looked back at the brunet beside him. He didn’t dare to blink afraid this may be a mirage and disappear. His name, he had forgotten what it sounded on the lips of others. Since he was crowned, his name was lost somewhere and replaced by titles and polite bows. The former first prince was the last person he heard him call him by his first name, the only remaining memory of his deceased father and mother.

The name rung like the wind bells his youngest sibling would hang up by the door of his chambers. It was clear, soft and tender. Has his name always sounded like this?

“Kouki.”

The brunet is used now with Akashi calling his name and it brings no reaction, for a moment at least. In a second, the brunet’s lips curved to a smile, he sat up properly and his eyes twinkled.

“I am here Your Majesty.”

Akashi felt his heart skipped a beat. At this day, he didn’t know yet that these words would fade into an empty promise, such words had limits. However, Akashi didn’t know, he wallowed and drunk every last drop of affection he could from those words. He felt like a simple human standing against a storm, there is clearly nothing he could do to stop Kouki from stealing his heart away from the rest of the world.

“You have yet to answer me.” Akashi told him as he tried to stir his mind away from his desires. “Would you allow me, to have this charm first before anyone?”

“First works always have too many mistakes, are you sure Seijuuro-_sama_?””

Akashi nodded.

“Isn’t it always the first work that meant more than the others?”

The brunet tilted his head to the side.

“I am not sure I understand, most first works are full of loopholes and sometimes there is a chance it would not work as well. I would not dare to ask you to have something that barely works. It simply is not right.”

Akashi shook his head.

“It is special for those reasons.” he told him. “It is their faults and flaws which makes it nothing like the rest.”

The brunet nodded finally.

“Well if you must insist.”

Akashi smiled, it is the flaws that made _him_ nothing like the rest.

When Akashi opens his eyes it takes a while before his mind begins tuning in his surroundings and he hears his alarm blaring and his phone beeping outside the room. He turns to his side and frowns as he sees his phone’s screen blinking with notifications. He gets up and turns off his alarm before picking up his phone, the first message he clicks on his from Kazue—_Kazunari_, he mentally corrects himself.

_Did you get home safely?_ _You could have stayed over if you didn’t feel well._

Akashi never really got along very well with Kazue, or _any_ incarnation of hers. In his heart he knew a part of it was due to the fact that Kazue’s grief after almost losing Midorima pulled Furihata Kouki to the prohibited dark arts which eventually led to him leaving the palace. Another part of him was a childish frustration from the day Midorima decided to leave the imperial palace for Kazue. Apart from being a commoner, Kazue couldn’t bore an heir. Akashi kept the latter a secret after Midorima confessed to him about his relationship and his desire to leave the crown to Akashi. It felt, somehow, as if she had taken his older brother away from him—and it was petty but it never left him.

However, Akashi couldn’t hate her completely. In his own ways, Kazue or Kazunari had always been a family. The truth was, she cared for Midorima deeply, she loved him and she did so even when her body changed, her name and status. Even now, even when he personally felt different for Akashi, even when Akashi _tries_ to irk him, he tries to be kind and understanding for Midorima.

_I apologize for my behaviour. I was indeed not feeling very well last night._

_I needed to speak to Shintaro. I was able to and everything is better you need not to bother._

_Again, I’m sorry for the trouble._

Akashi types his reply swiftly in order not to dwell on his uncharacteristic reply, however he promised his brother to apologize. He sighs and clicks send before turning to the rest of the messages, some of them are simply reminders and updates so he scrolls pass them. After a while he finished replying to immediate messages and took off to get himself ready for the day.

When Akashi arrives at the office he checks the time, by this hour by schedule his secretary should be collecting papers for him to sign so normally he wouldn’t be able to see him yet. He sits down behind his desks and checks his email, almost a good amount of the collections that were exhibited were sold last night which is surprising. He moves off from another agenda to the next, he replied to corporate emails. It takes him an hour to finish replying to emails and after doing so he stands from his seat. He sees a pot of coffee set for him.

Kuroko always arrived early, when he does he starts _everything_ in Akashi’s office to make sure all he has to do is to sign and do his work. Akashi pours himself a cup of coffee, as soon as he fills his mug he hears the door to his office open.

“You need to sign these papers immediately, this had been sitting for two weeks and they’re needed tomorrow Akashi-kun.” He hears Kuroko says as he steps in the room without greeting. Akashi had grown close to the other to the point of not needing the polite greetings. Kuroko sets a stack of folders and papers on Akashi’s desk. “I hope you finished replying on the emails.”

“I did.” Akashi says.

“Good because—“

_Knock knock_

Akashi smiles as he finds Mibuchi by the door of his office.

“Come in.” he tells the other who steps in.

“Akashi-san, I have the report you asked for yesterday.”

Akashi nods. Mibuchi hands Akashi a folder of files, the red head opens it and reads through the files. They are mostly signed papers of deeds of the sold items from the exhibit, he scans them quietly until he reaches the last. A small smile curves up his lips, it is the formal receipt for Shrike addressed now to none other than Furihata Kouki.

“It wasn’t returned?” Akashi asked with actual amusement.

“Not that I know of.” Mibuchi says. He pulls out his phone and shows Akashi a receiving copy of the delivered item, a scrawny signature was under the received section. It was received by Furihata Kouki himself. “The delivery was successful and there wasn’t any problem. The recipient accepted the delivery and signed.”

Surprise, Akashi tells himself as he takes a sip of his coffee. For years, every time he tries to give Shrike to anywhere it would inevitably end up back to him in some odd ways. Sometimes the delivery would be confused then would deliver the item back to him, or the recipient address is incorrect and the item will return to him. He tried to burn it once but in some miraculous occasion, he found the collections in the back of his closet two days after without any damage.

Akashi frowns, he looks down at his coffee. Ah, maybe the filter wasn’t changed. He takes another sip and he looks up at Mibuchi who grins before turning to look at Kuroko who is quietly watching them from the other side of the room.

“Kuroko-san, now that I’ve mentioned it, wasn’t your boyfriend, Kagami Taiga, was it, lived in this address?”

Akashi almost chokes on his coffee upon hearing this. He looks up and he finds Kuroko raising an eyebrow at him and a fake indifference.

“He does.” Kuroko says before turning to the piles of paper and rearranging them. After a second he walks up to Akashi and Mebuchi _with a smile_. The two stares awkwardly at the teal haired secretary. “His little brother lives with him. I’m quite fond of his brother. he’s sweet, an _innocent_, clearly undeserving of lazy, irresponsible, _flirtatious_ men. If _anyone_ and I mean _anyone_ tries, I’m not going to guarantee I would be kind.”

Mibuchi chuckles nervously, somehow Kuroko’s already cold blue eyes seems _colder_ and sharp today. He swallows a lump on his throat as he feels the tension rise between Akashi and Kuroko.

“T-That’s uhm, a surprise.” Mibuchi manages to say.

“Yes. _It_ was a surprise.” Kuroko says with a pointed look. “Anyhow, I have other works to attend to. I will be back here to retrieve the documents before lunch, I hope you are done with them Akashi-kun.”

Akashi stares quietly, he doesn’t dare to speak. Kuroko’s very first incarnation, his brother made good of his promises and drew a sword to his neck when he _tried_ to argue with him. The second time, Kuroko tripped him to a pond and left him there after he joked how the teal head should try looking for other prospect other than Kagami in the middle of winter. Akashi _learned_ to fear Kuroko Tetsuya’s anger. He had his ways of expressing them from harmless glares to _actual_ threats which he can smoothly slide away from when he wishes just with those persuasive and smart remarks.

Sometimes, Akashi wonders if Kuroko knew he’s immortal for surely his threats were truly something intended to _kill_ and yet he seems so nonchalant about it—that or he’s truly just devious.

As Kuroko finally leaves them, with Mibuchi nervously sweating beside him Akashi finds himself relieved somehow.

“Kuroko-kun is scary.”

Akashi nods. He sighs, well this is a predicament. Kuroko in _any_ of his incarnation tends to be very protective of his family, his familial relationship with him used to save Akashi from Kuroko’s blazing fury in their first life. Vaguely he remembers the day Kuroko first drew a sword to his neck, it was the first time he had a misunderstanding with Kouki which ended up poorly. Akashi asked to send the brunet away from his court and be transferred to elsewhere, unluckily leaving the decision of the brunet’s designation to the ministers was not a well thought idea. The ministers sent the brunet to the third prince’s court and this was the leeway for Kuroko to find out their argument. The following day when he met the third prince on the courtyard after telling Kuroko why he decided to send the brunet away, without second thoughts he stole a sword from one of Akashi’s retainers and pointed it at him.

_“The Late Emperor said one must not tolerate arrogance, strike it down before it becomes brings chaos.”_

Akashi was not an immortal then yet, naturally he was _scared_. He trusts Kuroko Tetsuya, and at that moment he _trusted_ he would not have hesitated to cut him down that instant. Kuroko Tetsuya is anything but a liar.

Akashi blinks at the thought and he looks down at his coffee. He stares at the foreboding dark liquid in the white mug.

“Reo.”

“Yes?”

“What does a rat poison tastes like?”

.

.

.

Furihata Kouki stares at the intimidating façade of the office, he takes a lungful of air before walking up to the door. He was greeted politely by the people before he nervously walks to the reception desk. The beautiful middle aged lady smiles as she greets him.

“How can I help you today Sir?” she asks politely.

“Uh…” Furihata blushes, he feels so insignificant in this massive place with people in expensive suits and heels clacking against the polished floor. He holds the misshaped box against his chest protectively before looking up at Furihata. “Well, uhm…I think uhm someone—I mean, something may have went wrong a-and something was sent to me.”

The receptionist tilted her head to the side.

Furihata nervously puts the box on top of the woman’s desk. The woman stares at it for a while before she sees the attached receipt. She looks at it for a while and blinks, she looks back up at Furihata Kouki giving the brunet a fake but polite smile.

“Kindly wait please, I hope you understand but we must check the contents of this box first.”

Before Furihata could say anything, the woman pulls up her radio communication device. In a moment Furihata finds a uniformed security personnel walking up to them. He eyes Furihata suspiciously before looking at the package.

“What’s your name kid?” the guard asks.

“Uh, F-Furihata Kouki.”

The guard nods before the receptionist points at the receipt attached on the box. The guard confirms it is the same name.

“You bought this.” It isn’t a question from the guard but rather a statement that almost made Furihata feel like he’s being told something he should know. “The deed should be inside as well, _sir_. This from our company’s exhibit. If you have any question you should call the head of the sales, if you don’t have his number we can—“

“Wait,” Furihata says. “Uh, b-but uh…well, I didn’t buy this.”

The receptionist raises an eyebrow.

“But this is sent t you sir, perhaps your friend bought it for you?”

Furihata almost chokes at the word _friend_.

“W-Well, that’s the thing.” Furihata says. He points at the sender’s name. “I think someone made a mistake.”

The receptionist looks at the name on the sender’s blank and her eyes widen in shock.

“Uh, well…uhm, please stay put sir. W-We’ll call up someone who can confirm this. Meanwhile, sir you should take a sit. Would you like coffee, perhaps water or anything?”

Furihata waves his hands in dismissal.

“Uh, y-you don’t have to.” He says but his words fall on deaf ears.

She instructs the security personnel to run for a glass of juice before she smiles and picks up a phone and begins talking over the person on the other line. Furihata smiles nervously as he sees the frantic reaction of the receptionist. After a while, Furihata sighs and decides to take up on the offer of the receptionist. He takes the package with him and walks up to an empty seat.

Minutes pass slow, Furihata Kouki remains in his seat, a phone in his hands and the package on his lap. The vast room somehow feels a bit suffocating with the murmurs of people surrounding him, the sound of shoes against polished floor and the smell of artificial air freshener. After another minute Furihata feels someone plops down next to him on the couch. Instinctively he looks up from his phone and he finds a familiar face.

“You—“

The pink haired girl turns to face Furihata and her eyes widen.

“You!” she exclaims back. She smiles widely. “What are you doing here?”

“I remember you! You’re the girl from the station!”

She pouts and crosses her arms under her breast.

“That’s not nice, I have a name you know.”

Furihata gasps, his face flushes in humiliation. Where are his manners. Furihata lowers his head to apologize.

“I-I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to be rude.” Furihata says. “I-I’m Furihata Kouki. I think I didn’t get your name before.”

The girl seems quick to bounce back, she flashes Furihata with a big smile before taking his hands and shaking them enthusiastically.

“Nice to meet you, Momoi Satsuki at your service!”

“E-Eh, uhm.” Furihata looks at Momoi awkwardly before she finally lets go of his hands. “Uh…sorry, but uh…what is Momoi-san doing here?”

“Oh, actually,” Momoi pulls out a folder out of her bag. She places it on her lap. “Well it should be the last day of the exhibit and I’m supposed to pass this to the sales representative. I’m waiting for them. How about you?”

Furihata chuckles awkwardly.

“Uh actually, something got sent to me and I think they made a mistake.” Furihata looks down on his lap to emphasize.

Momoi stares and slowly she blinks.

“Oh.”

“What?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a mistake if you’re holding that.”

Furihata opens his mouth but he finds himself too shock and confused to form any coherent sentence.

“I actually sent that,” Momoi says pointing at the box, “I was instructed by CEO-san and Mibuchi-san to send it to you.”

“C-CEO…Y-You mean, A—“

“Akashi Seijuuro of course, who else?” Momoi chuckles before lightly patting Furihata’s shoulder. “You know, I think he has a crush on you.”

Furihata’s face turns beet red. How can someone insinuate this? Of course, Furihata would not deny the young CEO is certainly handsome, and he may indeed have a mini, just a _tiny_, bit of crush for the other but surely anyone would, right? But for the other way around, for Akashi to even spare him a second of his time to think about him is certainly something _wild_.

Furihata shakes his head, he puts the box on Momoi’s lap. He stands up and waves his hands in front of himself. This certainly is a mistake.

“I-I can’t afford _that_, I’m sorry but I can’t accept them.” he says, “There has to be a misunderstanding, o-or a mistake.”

Momoi merely smiles.

“If _it_ found you, then there is no _mistake_.” She says as she pats the box lightly. “After all, don’t they say—it is not the owner who chooses what things must belong to them, but instead the things choose who is worthy to own them?”

Furihata doesn’t find that helpful _at all_, he is not convinced yet. Momoi must have sent it on him incorrectly, maybe the person who bought it had the same last name as him, or their names got mixed up but he certainly cannot have these. No, more correctly, he doesn’t feel deserving of something like these.

“No, I-I can’t—please take it back. I did not buy them and surely there would someone else who would like to purchase it o-or someone must have purchased it already and is waiting f-for it b-but—you _must_ have gotten this wrong.” Furihata says. “I’m sorry, b-but I-I’m just a high school kid, i-if someone were to ask me to pay for it because of the mistake I-I can’t do that. And I just—I swear, I know this has to be a mistake Momoi-san.”

Momoi merely smiles her expression unchanging and strangely certain. Her smile makes Furihata shiver, despite seemingly being the same age as him, her looks and smile makes Furihata feel so weak in comparison. He wants to run.

Furihata whips head and makes a run for it. Yes, that’s right surely if he escapes now and leave that package Momoi will simply just return them and—

_SPLASH! _

“EH!”

Furihata gasps as he feels the front of his gray shirt stained with something hot and _wet_. His mind focused on trying to get away from the heat that his feet clumsily stumbles backwards and trips on the slippery floor. His eyes widen bracing for the impact that never comes.

Before he knows what is happening he hears something shattering close to him and there is a firm grip around his waist which pulls him back to his feet and straightened him up. He remains still while his body trembles in fear, he could have knocked his head on the floor and cracked his skull his unhelpful and cynical mind supplies.

“Are you alright?”

Furihata’s eyes flies open as soon as he heard the familiar voice. He gasps again, his free hands quickly on his lips as he tries to hide his embarrassing reaction. The brunet doesn’t understand but his body freezes, his eyes are drawn to the concern staining the blood red eyes staring down at him. The smell of coffee between them is strong—_but the heat was stronger_.

“Aw, aw, aw!” Furihata exclaims as his mind finally catches up to him and he mildly pushes the red head from him to fan his shirt. He winces, his chest burns and he feels very sticky.

“Do not worry, I’ll call up an ambulance for you.” Furihata hears Akashi says almost in panic. Furihata turns to see the man calling up anyone available and fetching up his phone to dial emergency services.

Okay, the coffee was hot and it burns but Furihata felt he didn’t need the ambulance or seven security personnel and four employees in his aid. He quickly reaches to take Akashi’s hand which held his phone to stop him, which kind feels gross with the coffee in his fingertips.

“No need.” He tells him. “I-I’m fine.”

“But you are hurt.” Akashi almost says in a loud voice. He can feel the familiar panic in rising from the depths of his soul. His eyes were wide and Furihata can feel the hand he’s holding is shaking. “I-I didn’t…I am..I hurt you.”

All the thoughts flew out of Furihata’s mind the moment Akashi whispered the last three words. It feels almost as he had done something so bad to him which wasn’t really that bad. The urge to comfort the other rises, it grips his lungs and prickles his skin.

“No.” he quickly tells him, “I-I was just surprised. I-I…I panicked.”

“But you clearly were hurt!” Akashi almost exclaims.

Akashi can feel his heart beating fast. He had hurt Kouki, _again_, his mind whispers. He didn’t mean it, another voice says and it was his logical mind. He didn’t mean to, he is simply on his way back to his office after he fetched a coffee from the pantry when it happened. He looked elsewhere for coffee after Akashi realized the added taste on his coffee was a crushed half of a paracetamol mixed in his coffee. He should have stayed, he berated himself. It wasn’t as if it would have killed him, nor was he afraid if it ever did. Mibuchi also didn’t find Kuroko’s threat to be alarming and instead passed it on as a prank.

He should have stayed, he should have kept himself in, he should--

“No—I mean, yes but that’s okay—I mean, no but you don’t need to call an ambulance.”

“How is this alright?” Akashi says looking at Furihata, “H-How…How could I—“

Akashi can feel his heart beating fast. He had hurt Kouki, _again_, his mind whispers. He didn’t mean it, another voice says and it was his logical mind. He didn’t mean to, he is simply on his way back to his office after he fetched a coffee from the pantry when it happened. He looked elsewhere for coffee after Akashi realized the added taste on his coffee was a crushed half of a paracetamol mixed in his coffee. He should have stayed, he berated himself. It wasn’t as if it would have killed him, nor was he afraid if it ever did. Mibuchi also didn’t find Kuroko’s threat to be alarming and instead passed it on as a prank.

He should have stayed, he should have kept himself in, he should--

“Akashi-san, I’m _okay_, okay?”

Akashi stares at him, his face suddenly seems different, pale and devoid of life. Something inside Furihata twists at the sight, his sticky coffee stained fingertips itches to brush this expression off Akashi for some reason. His mind runs a mile, he can hear it screaming and wracking for _anything_ or _any word_ to make this situation better.

“Someone call a medic!” Furihata hears the distant cry of another employee and the clacking of shoes coming towards them.

“I-I just need a change of clothes, that’s all.” he finds himself saying.

Akashi looks up to him.

“Hospital.” Akashi states but Furihata shakes his head with reassurance.

“I’m fine, I swear I-I just…please I feel worse with a wet shirt.”

Akashi seems ready to argue but when he looks back at Furihata he sighs and nods.

“Of course, I-I’m sorry. I’ll get someone to get you a change of clothes.”

.

.

.

There is a bathroom in Akashi’s office. There is a _massive_ bathroom complete with shower and a bathtub which Furihata swears can fit four of him inside. Everything looks expensive and breakable around him. He feels very self-conscious to even touch the cold shower knob or the pretty shampoo container and the body wash. Thankfully, his sticky and coffee smelling body return his attention to his problem and promptly distracts him enough to finish showering. Once he is done he steps out and dries himself with the towel readied for him.

This feels more like a hotel than an office, he thinks as he steps out and wraps the towel around his waist. Who would even put a complete shower in an office?

Furihata shakes his questions out of his mind as he finds the clothes set on the counter.

He finds three article of clothing besides the, well underwear. They were all packed in a paper bag. He inspects them one by one out of curiosity, a red shirt, a gray pants and a black cardigan with red trimmings. They look expensive which scares Furihata a bit, will he have to pay Akashi back after this? Maybe he should, but _can_ he?

Furihata groans out loud—too loudly it seems that he hears footsteps outside.

“Are you alright, Kouki?” he hears Akashi asks from the other side of the door. “Perhaps it is wiser to take you to the hospital a—“

“No, I-I’m fine, really.” Furihata says.

He finds himself hurrying up to dress for some reason at Akashi’s inquiry. He feels helpless like this, first he made a scene in front of Momoi, he should have just left that package on second and now he bumped into the sender of the packaged, got drenched in coffee and made a scene. Now, he’s using a bathroom inside a 60 storey building in the CEO’s office. This is absurd, he tells himself as he grabs the towel and dries his hair harshly.

He sighs and he walks up to the sink, he lays the towel on the counter and looks at his reflection. He winces, even after showering he still looks like he’s been run over by a truck several times. He has to apologize, he decides, he needs to apologize for the scene he caused. He nods in satisfaction with his plan before he leaves the bathroom.

When Furihata emerges from the bathroom he sees Akashi standing at the full height window of his office, his arms crossed over his chest and biting his lower lip.

“Akashi-san?”

Akashi turns his head towards him. He walks up to him.

“You—“ Akashi sighs, “Your hair is still wet.”

“Uh…yeah, but that’s alright. I-I don’t want to bother you further.” He says. “I-I just want to apologize.”

“What for?”

“For these.” Furihata gestures around himself. “I sincerely did not mean to cause a scene, I-I was about to leave and—“

Akashi opens his mouth to ask something but his eyes catches something else. He hears Furihata rambles on but his eyes simply couldn’t stray away. He missed a button, Akashi thinks as he looks at Furihata’s shirt, his second to the top most button is in the slot for the third.

“You buttoned your shirt incorrectly.” Akashi finds himself saying. He likes to keep everything in order, a habit he couldn’t remove despite the long years of living.

“Oh, uh, I didn’t notice.” Furihata says as he looks down and he finds indeed he had unbuttoned his shirt incorrectly.

“Let me.” Akashi says and he reaches up to unbutton the shirt to put it back when—

“Have you finished the papers I’ve asked you earlie—“

Furihata and Akashi both freeze. Akashi turns his head to the source of voice and finds Kuroko standing by the door holding it open, his blue eyes shifts slowly between Akashi and Furihata, _then_ down to Akashi’s hand which is holding Furihata’s shirt open.


End file.
